CHENNAI: The dimly lit subways and flyovers in the city is set to get a facelift as Chennai Corporation plans to add aesthetic value to it by by setting up vertical gardens and also illuminating it.
The project, is part of the plan to add to the city’s aesthetic value and build on the city’s character, and is to be implemented at a cost of Rs 41.9 crore.
The city corporation has identified 16 flyovers and grade separators including the grade separator at North Usman road-Mahalingapuram road junction, Kalaivanar bridge at GN Chetty road, Sardar Patel Road-LB Road junction flyover and Dr Radhakrishnan road flyover to be lit up dynamically.
“Bridges become a part of the identities of several cities across the world. They are vibrant structures and so, we thought dynamic lighting would be a good idea. For instance, during Independence day, we’d be able to have tricolour lighting,” said a top corporation official.
Apart from the underbellies of bridges and flyovers, the Corporation has also identified five pedestrian subways including Rajaji Salai subway near the beach station and Ezhilagam subway near MGR memorial and 16 vehiclular subways including Gengu Reddy road subway at Egmore, Harrington road subway and Saidapet Bazaar road subway for dynamic lighting.
The lighting project of flyovers and subways are to be done at an estimated cost of Rs 33.8 crores. The colour and the patterns created by the lights would be controlled centrally and would change as part of the celebrations for important days like Deepavali, said Corporation officials.
14 new vertical gardens
The city is to also get 14 vertical gardens where the pillars of flyovers and bridges will hold a metal frame with potted plants. Its features would be similar to that of the single existing vertical garden at the GN Chetty Road flyover. However, the corporation has come up with a new mechanism to water the new vertical gardens.
Sewage from the nearest sewer line would be drawn and sent through a four-tiered treatment process and then be used to water the vertical garden by means of drip irrigation. This system is not presently in place for the GN Chetty road vertical garden.
“For the first three months, the corporation intends to mandate the contractor to maintain the garden. Then, we will open it up to private parties who would be willing to take up the maintenance of whichever stretch they choose,” said a senior corporation official.
The vertical gardens along with the sewage treatment structures are to be created at an estimated cost of Rs 8.13 crores. The new areas where the vertical gardens are to come up include the grade separator at Vallalar Nagar at Mint junction, Doveton junction flyover, North Usman road-Mahalingapuram road junction and Peters road-Conronsmith road junction.